Youthful Glory

After what felt like half a cup of tea's time, the figure standing before the sand table hadn't moved an inch, nor made any response. Ming Tan's heart was in turmoil, her hands holding the food box trembling slightly. Her eyelashes fluttered as she slowly, ever so slowly, lifted her gaze upward.

What met her eyes was the same black-clad figure she'd glimpsed earlier—slender and upright, with a tall stature that seemed half an inch taller than even Second Young Master Shu and Shen Yu.

—He wasn't some rough, burly brute at all.

Ming Tan quickly averted her gaze. Seeing that he showed no intention of responding, she had no choice but to slow her movements, placing the porcelain bowl on the table and pouring the lotus leaf porridge at an excruciatingly leisurely pace, hoping to stall for time until he might turn around and let her see his face clearly. Meanwhile, she couldn't help stealing glances at that unyielding back.

But that back seemed determined not to move, showing no signs of turning around.

Ming Tan was currently playing the role of a maidservant and couldn't speak out of turn. If she were punished for being talkative, there'd be nowhere to plead her case.

After dawdling for what felt like ages, with the porridge nearly finished pouring, her frustration grew. Her stolen glances at his back became more frequent.

Suddenly, that unmoving figure shifted slightly, as if about to turn. Ming Tan was so startled she nearly spilled the porridge, hurriedly lowering her gaze like a guilty thief, her head bowed deeply.

His footsteps were unhurried.

Though the distance from the sand table to the desk was no more than ten feet, it felt like another half cup of tea had passed before the hem of his intricately embroidered robe and his boots finally came into her line of sight.

Jiang Xu stood before the desk, casually glancing at the bowing maidservant by the table before sweeping aside his robe to sit. He scooped up some lotus leaf porridge and took a sip.

A soldier's hands could hardly be delicate. His palms were calloused, his fingertips rough, with fresh cuts from recent sword practice visible on the back of his hand. Yet his hands were beautifully shaped—broad palms with long, slender fingers and distinct knuckles.

Watching this, Ming Tan's heart leaped to her throat. She lifted her eyelashes even more slowly and subtly than before.

What entered her vision first was the overlapping collar of his outer robe, then his neck, Adam's apple, chin, lips, nose, and finally his eyes—

It was a flawlessly handsome face with sharp features. Sword-like eyebrows framed star-bright eyes; his nose was straight, his lips thin. Like distant mountains and cold moonlight, he exuded an untouchable aura. Unlike any military man she'd ever seen before, in both appearance and bearing, he rivaled even the famed Second Young Master Shu of the capital—perhaps even surpassing him with an additional... noble air like cold jade and sunken gold.

Ming Tan was stunned.

Was this... Prince Dingbei?

Could... could there be some mistake?

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than someone lifted the tent flap, answering her unspoken question.

"Your Highness, a message from the palace."

The newcomer knelt on one knee to report, pausing deliberately when his peripheral vision caught the impertinent maidservant who showed no intention of withdrawing—and His Highness didn't seem inclined to dismiss her either. He hesitated.

Jiang Xu lifted his eyes, his gaze aloof and indifferent. "Speak."

"Yes." The messenger bowed his head and continued, "The palace reports that His Majesty has ordered the Hanlin Academy to transcribe Your Highness's 'Treatise on Army Discipline' and compile it with your previous writings on military strategy into a volume. Does Your Highness have any instructions?"

"Comply with His Majesty's wishes."

"Yes. Then... this subordinate takes his leave."

The messenger glanced once more at the maidservant.But at this moment, the little maid was completely preoccupied with one thought: He can write essays too? Although they were military treatises on warfare, the ability to articulate his own theories meant he had unique insights. It was normal for generals leading troops to have some personal understanding of military strategy, but not all could express their thoughts coherently.

Take her father and uncle, for example. Her father, who dabbled in literature and the arts, could barely string together a few decent points. As for her uncle, despite his formidable skills, every time he opened his mouth, it was plain and unrefined—forget writing treatises, even conveying his ideas clearly was a struggle. So her future husband was actually quite—

"What are you still doing here?"

Ming Tan, lost in thought, was abruptly interrupted by a voice as cool as the lotus porridge chilling in the icebox—refreshing against the summer heat.

She startled, her gaze flitting up in panic to meet his calm one before immediately dropping again. Softly, she apologized, "Your Highness, forgive this servant. I’ll leave at once."

Fumbling awkwardly with the empty bowl and food container, she hastily curtsied and retreated. As she turned to leave, her steps were noticeably quicker than usual.

Jiang Xu swept a glance at her petite, slender figure before lowering his eyes to resume his work, revealing no extra emotion.

"Well? Well?" Once they were out of the tent and at a safe distance, Bai Minmin immediately pressed in a hushed voice.

Ming Tan pressed her lips together, her small face still pale with tension.

By the time they met up with Shen Hua and left the capital garrison, Bai Minmin was beside herself with impatience, circling Ming Tan like a whirlwind. "My dear, speak already! What happened? You look absolutely terrified!"

The midday heat was stifling, and Ming Tan’s throat felt parched. She took a moment to steady her nerves, swallowing with difficulty before finally speaking. "He... he really is quite intimidating."

"..."

Oh no. So he really was like a wild boar.

Bai Minmin’s mind buzzed for several seconds, a flash of white light seeming to pass before her eyes. Standing under the blazing sun, she swayed dizzily.

After a long pause, she snapped back to reality and suddenly gripped Ming Tan’s shoulders, offering comfort despite her own lack of confidence. "Don’t panic, don’t panic! Let me think of something."

Bai Minmin had never been the most reliable when it came to schemes, but now her mind was flooded with the romantic tales of scholars and beauties she’d read—stories where noble ladies and poor scholars eloped to escape arranged marriages.

A spark of inspiration struck her. "I’ve got it! We’ll go back and tell my father that Prince Dingbei is hideously ugly and utterly uncouth, and you simply can’t bear to marry him. I’ll help you wear him down until he arranges a way out for you. Then we’ll stage an accidental drowning and a fake funeral!"

"Of course, that means you won’t be able to stay in the capital anymore, A Tan. You’ll have to change your name and move to the wealthy regions of Jiangnan. My father will surely find you a good family to ensure a life of comfort." At this point, tears welled up in Bai Minmin’s eyes. "Even though we’ll hardly see each other again, this is for your happiness. Wanwan and I will miss you dearly in the capital."

"Is he really... that hideous?" Shen Hua asked hesitantly.

Bai Minmin: "Absolutely repulsive, like a wild boar—"Ming Tan had been lost in thought, recalling the appearance and demeanor of that person. It wasn't until Shen Hua mentioned the word "looks" that she snapped back to reality. Without hesitation, she retorted firmly, "Who said he's uncouth? Who said I'm unwilling to marry? The position of Prince Dingbei's Consort must—will—even if I have to die for it—be mine!"

"...?"

Both Bai Minmin and Shen Hua were momentarily stunned by her rebuttal and couldn't help but exchange glances.

Ming Tan couldn't be bothered to explain. "Quick, come with me to the Zhou residence."

"Go... go see Jingwan? Dressed like this?"

Ming Tan glanced down at herself and nearly forgot—she was still dressed as a maidservant. Moreover, it wasn't proper for young ladies to roam outside in broad daylight. Oh well, she had been too impatient.

With that in mind, Ming Tan changed her plans. First, she returned home the same way she came, then wrote another letter and had it delivered to Zhou Jingwan.

It wasn't until dusk that Zhou Jingwan finally sent a young maid over with several freshly transcribed pages of

The Treatise on Encouraging the Army and Disciplining the Troops

, along with a comment from her father: "Substantive in content, innovative yet grounded."

Uncle Zhou was a Hanlin academician, a talent groomed for ministerial office—brilliant and exceedingly principled. For him to offer such praise meant the work must be exceptionally well-written.

Ming Tan didn't even wait to finish her dinner before eagerly diving into the military treatise.

She wasn't well-versed in troop formations and battle strategies, but she could at least grasp the essence of the writing. The arguments were logically rigorous and clear, the prose concise yet sharp, with every word hitting the mark—carrying a certain crisp, bamboo-like elegance.

After finishing, Ming Tan's gaze lingered on the pages, reluctant to look away. At the end, she noticed Zhou Jingwan had included a note: "Father mentioned that the topic for the recent imperial examination's policy debate on military affairs, set by His Majesty, originated from His Highness Prince Dingbei."

He could even set questions for the imperial examinees?

Then his talent must surpass that of the top scholars!

A quiet joy blossomed in Ming Tan's heart as she rested her chin on her hand, her lips curling into an unconscious smile while reading the note.

Her future husband—noble in status, handsome in appearance, dignified in bearing—was also this talented!

"Miss, what are you smiling about?" Lü'e asked curiously as she and Suxin set the table.

Ming Tan didn't answer, merely saying cheerfully, "Bring me the bronze mirror."

What did she need a mirror for at this hour? Puzzled, Lü'e washed her hands and hurried into the inner chamber to fetch a small bronze mirror.

Ming Tan took the mirror, tilting it left and right, and noticed she had lost a bit of weight these past few days. But that wasn't a bad thing—summer garments were light, and the slight thinness added a delicate, willow-like grace. Perfect.

Before heading to the capital garrison at noon, she had thought things through carefully. First, to avoid being recognized by the prince in the future, and second, fearing the soldiers might mistake her for a scheming maid trying to seduce the prince and bar her from the tent, she had deliberately disguised herself as plain.

Of course, the extent of her "uglification" was limited to applying slightly yellowish powder to dull her fair complexion.

After returning home, she had freshened up and changed. Now, the mirror clearly reflected her misty brows, starry eyes, and snow-white skin.

The delicate beauty of her countenance was a perfect match for her future husband.

Ming Tan was satisfied.

Only Lü'e and Suxin exchanged puzzled glances. Previously, she only checked her appearance during morning and evening routines—now she needed a mirror even during meals? Should they place a small bronze mirror on the dining table from now on?

Ming Tan added, "Suxin, tomorrow go to the accounts office and withdraw some silver... Never mind, since it's my wish, I should use my private savings."She switched the hand propping her chin and continued instructing, "Take it from the dowry funds my mother left me—add a thousand taels of incense oil money to Lingmiao Temple. Then ask the abbot how much it would cost to regild the Buddha statue in the hall I took you to worship that day. Say that your young lady made a vow there—if her wish was granted, she would surely regild the Buddha's golden body. Please ask the abbot not to decline."

Suxin: "A... thousand taels?"

"Is it too little?" Ming Tan vaguely recalled Madam Pei mentioning that for ordinary temple blessings without overnight stays, fifty taels would suffice, while a hundred or so was common for those who stayed. But since her wish had been fulfilled, a thousand taels truly wasn’t excessive. "Should we add another thousand, then?"

Suxin tactfully replied, "Young lady, it’s not too little. A thousand taels is already an extremely generous offering."

Though the dowry left by the late Madam was exceedingly ample, and both the Marquis’s household and the Changguo Duke’s residence would surely prepare additional dowry when the young lady married, her mistress was rather free-handed with money. The vast Dingbei Prince’s estate was of unknown financial standing, and everything would eventually fall to her young lady to manage. It would be wise to keep some funds aside for unforeseen needs.

However, her young lady clearly wasn’t thinking that far ahead at the moment. After settling the vow-fulfillment matters, she was suddenly inspired and asked Lü’e to prepare ink and brushes—she wanted to paint.

Suxin and Lü’e both urged her: the sky was darkening, painting would strain her eyes, why not wait until tomorrow and paint in the garden?

After much persuasion, they managed to dissuade her. Yet Ming Tan remained fixated on painting and insisted on going to the eastern garden early the next morning. Over the following days, she alternated between painting and composing poetry in the estate, often sighing that her paintings couldn’t capture even half of his true appearance, and not a single line of her poems satisfied her.

At first, Suxin and Lü’e had no idea what had gotten into their young lady. Lü’e wanted to ask, but Suxin stopped her. In the end, Ming Tan couldn’t hold back and told them about the secret meeting.

They didn’t remember a single word of those military discussions, nor the endless flow of unrepeated praises their young lady used to describe her future husband’s appearance. But after hearing her chatter day and night, the two finally understood—their future lord’s looks and bearing had struck their young lady’s heart deeply.

Summer brought frequent rains. After several clear days, a sudden thunderstorm erupted overnight, and by morning, a downpour was raging. Ming Tan had originally invited Zhou Jingwan and Shen Hua to the eastern garden for painting and some refined amusement, but today’s weather made that impossible.

Restless indoors, Ming Tan remembered her father was on leave today. Seeing the rain outside had eased slightly, she asked Suxin to prepare a bowl of almond cream, then took an umbrella to his study to pay her respects.

Ming Tan was skilled in steering conversations. With just a subtle nudge toward the topic of her future husband, Ming Tingyuan enthusiastically launched into tales of Prince Dingbei’s glorious exploits.

He spoke of the autumn hunt in the sixth year of Chunxing, when the then-Crown Prince Chengkang was ambushed in the forest and surrounded by assassins. At the critical moment, Prince Dingbei charged alone into the encirclement. Despite severe injuries, he single-handedly protected the Crown Prince, then used extreme methods to extract the mastermind behind the attack from the sole surviving assassin.

Ming Tan clasped her cheeks in admiration. "So loyal and righteous, no wonder His Majesty trusts him so deeply!"

Then there was the incident two years prior when the Ministry of Revenue’s Vice Minister embezzled military funds. Fresh from narrowly surviving the battlefield, Prince Dingbei stormed into the Vice Minister’s residence alone, beheading him—blood sprayed two zhang away. Unswayed by the temptation of peerless beauties, he personally oversaw the trial, sentencing, and execution of the Vice Minister’s entire household.Ming Tan's eyes sparkled as she chimed in, "Truly full of valor!"

......

Ming Tingyuan spoke with great enthusiasm, and Ming Tan listened with equal delight.

News of the young miss and the Marquis enjoying a harmonious father-daughter conversation quietly spread through the manor. Ming Chu stamped her foot in anger, sweeping teacups off the table; Madam Pei felt deeply gratified, smiling as she ladled her beauty soup; only Shen Hua sensed Ming Tan's underlying purpose, gently fanning herself with a knowing smile but saying nothing.

By afternoon, Ming Tingyuan had talked himself hoarse, downing four or five bowls of tea and making two trips to relieve himself. When he finally finished, he exhaled deeply, his voice already slightly raspy.

Ming Tan dutifully refilled his tea, then instructed the maids waiting outside to bring some soothing pear soup for his throat.

After giving these orders, she casually remarked, "Oh, Father, about the imperial decree for my arranged marriage that His Majesty bestowed earlier... I've been keeping it, but I always worry it might get lost. It's been disturbing my sleep at night. I thought perhaps it would be better to entrust it to your care."

"The decree was given to you—naturally, you should keep it."

Covering her lips delicately, Ming Tan demurred in a soft voice, "In that case, I fear I'll be anxious until the wedding day. It's just... I wonder when exactly the Ministry of Rites has chosen as the auspicious date?"